Dear Father
by eazybreeze
Summary: Kimiko's father just died and now shes going to go live in a strange new manor. Will she find misery or love? my first fanfic
1. Chapter 1

Dear Father,

You died 2 weeks ago and your funeral was just yesterday. You'll be happy to know that the temporary foster care you sent me to was pleasant although all good things must end sooner or later.

This afternoon a woman from the country estate will arrive by train to escort me there to live permanently. I only just learned that my new guardian will be your business partner and will therefore give me your share as well as room and board. I've never met the man before though, Mr. Fung I believe it was. And father please don't worry about me, I will be on my best behavior and I won't cause any trouble.

I'm writing you this now because this morning will be the last time I will be able to visit your grave for a while. I'll leave this letter by the tombstone. I hope all goes well with you in heaven and I look forward to visiting you again.

Love Always,

Kimiko

P.S.

I also would like to tell you that I will be writing letters to you everyday and give you them all at the same time, whenever I get my chance to see your gravesite again.


	2. Chapter 2

"Lets get one thing straight," the woman said sternly, "I'm not about to be a babysitter to a preppy teen. But to my misfortune I've been given the duty to watch you while Master Fung is away, which is just what I need," she added sarcastically, "is another brat to watch. So until you turn 18 and move out you're my responsibility."

Kimiko nodded quietly, already wishing she hadn't stepped onto the train with this woman, "I understand, Miss Wuya."

"Oh stop with the formalities. My names Wuya and that's it, no miss."

"Ok, Wuya."

The older woman sighed as if breathing out her hate for the world and read a magazine, leaving Kimiko to stare out the window gazing at the passing countryside. She could no longer see any buildings, the countryside was a beautiful place but she couldn't help but feel that "Master" Fung had made a mistake in assigning Wuya as her substitute guardian.

"Uh, Wuya," she sputtered.

"What?!!" she whined glaring at the teen from over the magazine.

"You mentioned that I was just another brat you needed to watch."

"Yeah, and…," she was losing her patience.

"Well are there any others that you are also looking after?"

"Unfortunately yes," she put the magazine down and rolled her eyes to the ceiling as if remembering a horrible memory.

"How many?" Kimiko dared to ask.

"Six I think," she replied eyes back into the magazine.

"Wow that must be exciting."

"Trust me its not all that glamorous, you know how little twerps act. It seems like their goal in life is to give me a new head ache for a new reason every hour on the hour."

"Actually," Kimiko lowered her head, "I don't know. I was home schooled. And I graduated kind of early so I have nothing to do these days."

"Lucky you," Wuya murmured from behind the magazine.

Kimiko soon found out Wuya wasn't much of a talker and decided to leave the older woman alone, 'Surely the Xiaolin Manor is big enough for me to wonder around in and not have to run into Wuya.'

She quietly studied the woman. She wore an old style Chinese outfit, a black dress with purple outlining the long sleeves. And to Kimiko's surprise she was barefooted. Her hair was a long reddish color that curled upwards at some parts. Her eye liner came down in three lines from her eyes. But the most peculiar thing about her were her nails, they were more like claws and Kimiko wasn't sure but she thought her incisor teeth looked more like fangs.

'Creepy,' Kimiko cringed.

* * *

The ride took a good 9 hours but it was silent the whole time. The only audible thing was Wuya's page turning every few minutes. Kimiko mostly just slept since they would probably arrive sometime in the early morning. Kimiko's last thoughts before dozing off were of her early memories of her mother and father.

The loud train whistle startled Kimiko awake. She nearly fell out her seat. Her breath was heavy at first as she took a moment to calm down. Wuya was no where in their booth and outside the train had come to a hault. It looked as if everyone was getting off the train from the outside and sure enough there was Wuya in the crowd.

Kimiko quickly grabbed all her bags and left the booth to walk right into the big exiting crowd in the hall way, 'Darn I should've known she'd be the type of person to do something like this,' Kimiko thought as she struggled to hold onto all of her baggage.

When she finally got out of that mess she traveled a few yards down the cobblestone road in the direction she saw Wuya go, while silently cursing in her mind. Soon she saw Wuya standing by a carriage talking to a slightly shorter boy with bright red hair and a black over coat.

"Wuya, why didn't you wake me up?" Kimiko asked more than a little annoyed.

Wuya shrugged, "You would've woken up eventually or one of the workers would've woken you up. Ours was the last stop after all."

Kimiko frowned.

"Oh and this is Jack, he's our ride there."

Jack bowed his head, "Here let me take your bags."

Kimiko smiled handing them to him, 'At least someone's nice,' she thought.

"C'mon stop flirting and get in," Wuya yelled getting in the carriage, "We haven't got all day. I'm sleepy as heck."

Kimiko obeyed while Jack strapped the bags on top of the carriage, and proceeded to get the horses going down the road.

After another 2 hours of Wuya looking through a different magazine she glanced out the window and nudged Kimiko who was determined to stay awake, "Hey look."

Kimiko looked out her window, "Over that hill is a clear view of the Xiaolin Manor, a living heck for all the inhabitants. And your new home congratulations," she said sarcastically.

Kimiko rolled her eyes and gazed at the horizon as they got to the hill top. And there she saw it the biggest manor in the whole countryside.

Kimiko stared in awe but Wuya seemed as though she could careless that they lived in such a beautiful place. 'Maybe Wuya is a sour person but a place like that can't have all bad people in it. Can it, father?'


	3. Chapter 3

"This piece of crap is your room," Wuya spat as they entered the rather big room that actually looked kind of nice.

The bed was a king size with two good firm mattresses and one wall was a huge window that had a good view of the manor's fields and gardens. The walls were painted in all types of rare beautiful flowers and the carpet was pink and soft. There was a walk in closet already full of expensive new clothes.

"Whoa," Kimiko couldn't help but say out loud, "Are all the rooms this nice?"

"Everyone of them…except mine," Wuya muttered, "Ahem, over there is the bathroom."

She opened the door to reveal a Jacuzzi and a huge shower that was rimmed in solid gold. As well as lilac scented candles. And the tiles were a cloudy blue.  
Kimiko nearly fainted, "Even in the hotels I've been to I've never seen anything quit like this."

"Yeah, yeah enjoy," Wuya said sarcastically, "Oh and I take all the twerps to the mall on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every other Saturday, if you wanna come."

"That's nice of you," Kimiko smiled as she walked out the bathroom.

"No, no," Wuya raised her hand, "I get paid extras on the days I take the little rug rats out, not out of my own kindness."

'Should've seen that coming,' Kimiko thought.

"We eat breakfast at 7:30, lunch at 1:00, and dinner at 6:30. Whatever you do in between that time is your business, just don't bug me. Because I don't care whether you've got a scraped knee or are getting bullied. So deal with it yourself. The one rule is 'Stay Away From Aunty Wuya' and as long as you understand that you're good."

Kimiko nodded, already wanting to punch this woman in the eye. 'I'd hardly consider you an Aunty.'

"Where do you want these, Miss?" Jack asked coming in with the heavy baggage.

"Its about time you got here, gosh!" Wuya nagged leaning against the doorway.

Kimiko had almost forgotten that Wuya made him come up the long staircase carrying all of those, "You can just drop them wherever," Kimiko said.

"Yeah whatever, hurry up Jack. I need you to give me a manicure," Jack bowed towards Kimiko without a word and hustled out the door, "And one more thing Master Fung wanted me to give you this credit card. Charge it however you like on the days we go to the mall."

"Thanks," Kimiko examined it, 'Who knows how much you've used it for already.'

Wuya narrowed her eyes at Kimiko as if she had just read her mind. It scared Kimiko until the older woman finally smirked and left the room, "Welcome to the Xiaolin Manor, prep," Were her last words before disappearing into the shadows of the early twilight hour.

Kimiko sighed and shut her door, "Thanks you old hag," she said, 'Wait, you're more of a witch than a hag,' she thought and laughed to herself.

It was 4am when Kimiko had started unpacking and she was just finishing up stuffing her things into the closet full of new things. Soon it would be 6:30, an hour until breakfast.

With nothing to do Kimiko finally emerged from her room, taking note on where it was located and started off farther down the half lit corridor.

At first everything looked dull. There were some older portraits of people she didn't know and the occasional statue but nothing more of interest. She wondered aimlessly, turning corners or opening doors that lead to totally different corridors. Until she finally set on the fact that she was lost. 'So much for remembering where my room is.'

She walked on hoping to see something familiar but to know avail. Until she came to a dead end and blocking her way was a door. But this door was different, it was tall and had a gloomy air to it. Ignoring her instincts she reached and turned the huge silver handle, slightly enough to peak in half expecting to be attacked by a murderer or an animal.

But instead there was just a huge empty room. It was so gloomy with cobwebs and dust everywhere. The only light was the light that somehow crept in through the ragged shredded curtains blocking several windows on the far right wall.

And at the end of this huge room was another door. Kimiko slowly walked up to it feeling her heart quicken as she reached for the door knob. But before she could even touch it there was movement on the other side. She quickly pulled her hand back and waited. After waiting a few moments to hear another noise she even more cautiously brought her hand to the door knob. When suddenly she heard the door on the other end of the room slam open.

"Kimiko!!! Wait!" she turned to see Jack running over to her.

He grabbed her hand that was reaching for the door knob and pulled her back to the other end of the room.

"What are you doing?!" she asked shocked at the fact that the timid albino boy she met a few hours ago had just screamed at the top of his lungs.

His breath was heavy as he looked at the door he had just got her away from, "We're…we're all expecting you for breakfast soon and I need to show you the way," he continued to drag her along down the many corridors.

"But Jack," she asked just barely keeping up with him, "What's behind that door?"

Jack didn't respond until they got to a familiar part of the manor, "A guest who doesn't like to be disturbed," he slowed down to a walk.

"Was it Master Fung?" she asked catching her breath.

"Master Fung? No, Master Fung is away. I thought Wuya told you that."

"Well yeah but I just thought…," she started.

"Just don't go back to that door, please," he stopped and turned to look at her eye to eye.

"Ok," she nodded seeing his seriousness, "I'll stay away."

"Good," he looked relieved, "Now there are so many others who want to meet you in the dining room," he turned walking normally now.

Kimiko smiled, 'Finally I get to meet the other kids. Wish me luck on the first impression, father.'


	4. Chapter 4

"Are you ready, Kimiko?" Jack stood in front of large door.

She inhaled and exhaled, "I'm ready."

Jack smiled and opened the door for her. Kimiko took one more breath and stepped into the room.

"FINALLY!!!" Wuya yelled from the head of a long table, "I told you breakfast was at 7:30! Are you slow or just retarded?" Wuya's eyes squinted as she folded her arms.

Kimiko glared at her, "Sorry I just got lost."

Wuya mumbled something, and then said outloud, "Everyone this is the prep, prep this is everyone. Now Jack bring out the food," she snapped her fingers.

Jack quickly darted past her and into a back room which was assumingly the kitchen. Kimiko sighed, 'So much for first impressions. Thanks a lot you old witch hag.'

She quietly walked over, noticing the others for the first time. On the right of Wuya was an older boy, perhaps a few years older than her. He had a somewhat oval shaped head with fairly nice attire on. He hadn't looked at her because he seemed deep in thought.

Next to him was a very short yellowish boy with a more rounded head. The younger boy was playing with his fork and plate but sat awfully close to the older one.

On Wuya's far left was a very rural boy with a cowboy hat on. He was talking to a younger girl who also looked like a cowgirl. He had looked up, smiled and nodded at her once when she was introduced but had went back to speaking with the younger girl.

There were two empty seats across from them and Kimiko decided to try her luck, "Hi, I'm Kimiko," she said as she sat down.

"Hello Little Lady," the cowboy said, "I'm Clay and this here is my little sister Jessie."

"Hi," Jessie said with a quick glance towards her, "Now Clay when you rope a bull do you tie the front legs or back legs first?"

"Both at the same time," he replied.

"Oh I get it, I've gotta try it later in the bull pin."

"This place has a bull?" Kimiko asked.

"Yep," Clay replied, "And just about anything else you can think of," he glanced towards the door Jack had disappeared to, "Now where's that Spicer with the food. I'm as hungry as a dog in a butcher shop."

"I'm starving too," Jessie added, "That yellow belly better hurry up."

They both had a strong country accent, "So where are you both from?"… 'Like I really have to ask.'

Clay took off his hat, "We're from the best darn place in the world, Texas."

"Yep there ain't no where like Texas," Jessie said confidently.

"Oh, I'm from farther east of here. But if you don't mind me asking, why are you both here?"

They lowered their heads, "Well," Clay finally said, "Our Pa went to the big gold rush about two years ago to dig in the mines. There's been a lot of gold sightings in Texas recently. And well he never came back when the rumors of gold were proved wrong."

"Ma couldn't afford to keep us since we were already poor," Jessie cut in, "And an old friend of Pa's offered to take care of us until Pa came back. And that friend was Master Fung."

"Oh I see," Kimiko lowered her head, "Well he's possibly still alive and you'll be out of here some day."

"No," Clay said with a heavy heart, "If he was still alive he'd have wrote to Ma when he was supposed to come home."

"Well there's always hope," Kimiko tried to sound optimistic.

"Yeah," Jessie said trying to change the subject, "Why are you here?"

"My mother passed away when I was 3 and my father just died recently of some virus that they didn't know the cure for. But Master Fung was his business partner so he offered to be my permanent guardian. That's why I'm here."

Clay and Jessie looked at each other, "We're sorry," Clay replied, "We had no idea."

"It's ok," Kimiko said trying to lift up the mood, "So why are they here?" she pointed to the two boys with odd shaped heads.

"The big one there is Dashi and that little guy is his cousin Omi. They're parents have a family business and are not at home too much. So rather than leaving them home alone all the time they were sent here. To them this is like a year round camp. I think Master Fung is like they're families top customer or something."

"Lucky them, at least they don't have to be here," Kimiko thought out loud.

"Don't take the wrong way," Jessie replied quickly, "They've been deprived of parents just as much as we have. Although Dashi doesn't talk that much and Omi is very energetic but he always stays near him. So we don't get to talk that much with them."

"JACK!!!" they're conversation was interrupted by Wuya, "Hurry up and bring that food out before I have to eat the little cheese ball!"

And for some reason Omi shivered a bit having total fear in his eyes. Dashi glared at her as if wanting to throw darts at her.

She ignored him and merely laughed to herself, curling up her upper lip revealing one of those fang-like incisors.

Soon after Jack came bursting through the door with two trays that had several plates of food on them. He staggered at first as if about to spill them but soon gained his balance and put the plates of food on the table.

Clay smiled at Kimiko, "An all you can eat buffet. Help yourself," were his last words before he and Jessie started scooping up big helpings of food and gorging on them like wild animals.

Kimiko bit her lip, she had never seen anyone eat so fiercely. She looked around and Dashi, Omi, and even Wuya were doing the same thing except not as violent.

Kimiko felt like she was going to heave when some chunks from Jessie and Clay's feeding frenzy started to fly over to her side of the table, 'So that's why these seats were empty.'

Before she knew it someone was handing her a plate already with food on it to her. She looked over to see Jack smiling at her, "Here, I know how you feel. I remember what it was like my first time here."

"Yeah," Clay said through chews, "He's been here longer than any of us."

"Really," Kimiko's attention back on Jack, "What's your story?"

Jack grinned, at the first sudden interest in his life from someone else, "Well I've been here since I was 3 and the reason I'm here is because my parents were scientists. They did a lot of experimentation in far off countries. And they would often leave me here on and off because Master Fung provided me with the means to do my own little experiments. But on one of my parents travels there was an accident," he looked off into the distance for a moment as if remembering something horrible, "They lived but it left them with a terrible case of amnesia. They didn't remember me or anything for that matter. And right now they're in a hospital in Brazil, which is financed by Master Fung."

"Wow he seems like a really nice guy so far."

"Yeah he is. Also he let me stay here to work on my own little experiments," he leaned in closer to her, "And don't tell anyone but I'm currently trying to find a cure for their amnesia."

"Oh ok," Kimiko whispered back.

"SHUT UP JACK!" Wuya yelled with a big clump of meat in her mouth, "We all know about your mad scientist amnesia experiment."

"Wuya," Jack groaned.

She merely snickered and went back to eating her steak in a carnivorous way.

"Why do you do what Wuya says all the time?" Kimiko lowered her voice.

Jack quivered a little and said in a whisper, "I don't know if you know this yet but Wuya is a witch."


	5. Chapter 5

_Dear Father,_

_Apparently my new substitute guardian is a witch…not like I'm surprised. Anyway I just found that out from Jack Spicer, my new friend. And now everyone's eyes are on us. Sometimes I feel like I could just disappear._

Wuya smirked eyeing us from where she sat. She seemed amused, "Jack," she said kindly.

He gulped. I suppose he didn't mean to say it that loud, "Y…yes, Wuya."

She still had that smirk on her face as her long slim figure stood up and walked over to him. She put her hand on his shoulder. Kimiko was the only one close enough to see that her claws were slowly puncturing his black overcoat.

She leaned down next to his ear, "May I speak with you for a moment?"

"W…well actually I'm not finished eating and…," her grip tightened, "ok."

Kimiko watched as he stood up and walked over to the door with Wuya following like a snake.

And Kimiko couldn't help but think she was watching an execution as Wuya closed the door behind her.

Everyone, including her, let out a sigh.

"Oh no," she muttered.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Dashi standing over her, "Don't worry. She needs him for her own experiments," he looked at the door, "She won't kill him."

"Why?" was all she could say.

"Well Wuya may or may not have mentioned this but with you as an exception there were 6 of us," Clay responded.

"Oh yeah," Kimiko realized, "Now that I think of it there are only 5 of you including Jack. What happened to the 6th?"

This time Omi spoke, "Well a few years ago shortly before we arrived and there was only Jack, a new guest came. We've never met them though. But we know they're still here."

"Where are they?" Kimiko asked.

"We don't know," Jessie answered, "Possibly somewhere in the western part of the manor. We're not allowed there, only Jack to bring the guest food and stuff."

"Why doesn't the guest come out?" Kimiko was intrigued now.

"Rumor from Jack is that Wuya used to experiment her own witch powers a lot, although she wasn't that good…," Dashi started.

"Wait, so Wuya really is a witch?" Kimiko asked.

They all nodded, "Anyway she wanted to use this guest as a test subject for a soup that was supposed to be a youth potion. Since she needed a scientist like Jack to add logic to her own powers she used the only other person. Of course at the time the guest didn't know Wuya was a witch but he soon found out when she slipped him the soup one day during lunch."

Kimiko cringed. It was like sitting around a campfire listening to a horror story, "Then what happened."

"Something," Dashi shrugged, "We just don't know what. Jack won't give out that information, all we know is that, that guest is somewhere in the western part of the place."

"That much we guessed," Omi added.

Kimiko's eyes widened, 'But I was in the Western Part of the manor this morning. Perhaps that was this mystery guest, father. I really wanna know more.'


	6. Chapter 6

_Dear, Father_

_I've lived here for about a week now. Sorry I haven't been writing to you but Wuya finally started enforcing her guardian power and has been keeping all of us confined to our rooms. I really don't like her father, perhaps she really is a witch. Anyway I haven't seen Jack either. I can only hope he's not in too much pain. And being in here means that I can't go back to the western part of the manor and my curiosity is eating away at me. I don't know how much more of this I can take…_

Kimiko looked up from her journal when she heard the door quietly ease open, "Kimiko?" the voice asked

"Jack?" she recognized his voice, "Come in."

"Thank you," he was quiet about shutting the door behind him, "I'm sorry about last week."

"No," she hopped off her bed, "I'm the one that should be apologizing. Did she beat you?"

"No," he laughed, "But she did yell at me a long time. I'm surprised you didn't hear it."

Kimiko walked over to him, "So you're ok right?"

"Yeah I'm fine, but to finish off our conversation," he started, "Wuya is indeed a witch. And when an accident happened with one of our guests, I took all of her powers and put them in a jar that she can't get to."

Kimiko frowned, "She just let you take them?" 'I didn't know you could put a witch's powers in a jar.'

"Yeah, because Dojo, Master Fung's assistant, was there to supervise the act. We all agreed that Master Fung would not know of the guest's incident if Wuya and I were to create an antidote to the guest's predicament. The only reason I listen to Wuya so much is because of her promise to help me find a cure for my parents amnesia as well."

Kimiko nodded. It was all starting to make sense, "Does Wuya go and visit the guest?"

Jack smiled and stifled a laugh, "Are you kidding? Wuya wouldn't dream of getting near him. He hates her guts for feeding him her potion."

"Oh," Kimiko nodded, 'So he's a boy.'

"Anyway I wouldn't worry about Wuya's behavior. She's just on edge because there's a rumor that Master Fung will be coming back soon. And if he finds out, she'll be in big trouble."

"Wait, so Master Fung hasn't been back in all these years?"

"Well every now and again but I've never seen him up close personally. And when he does he usually stays in his room. But this time Dojo mailed to us saying that he might be coming home permanently."

Kimiko's eyes widened, 'Finally I'll be able to meet him.'

"And also the other reason I'm here is because Wuya told me to tell you all that you're allowed out now."

"What have you both been doing all week?"

"Wuya has been working me like a dog to find an antidote while she's been drowning her sorrows up in her room. She didn't wanna deal with any 'kids' this week."

"Interesting," Kimiko smirked picturing Wuya with a cold compress over her head crying over her lost job.

"Anyway I've still have to go tell Clay and Jessie," he headed for the door.

"Wait!" she called after, "When can I meet this guy?"

Jack turned around, "You mean guest?"

Kimiko nodded. Jack smiled shaking his head, "He doesn't wanna see anyone. And if he does he'll come to you," Jack turned back around, "But next time I see him I'll put in a good word for you," and with that he left.

Kimiko stood there in silence for a moment. She didn't know whether to feel happy or scared, 'He'll come to me. I wonder what that potion did to him.'

**A/n**

**I've already got the next chapter written down and I just wanna do some editing so hopefully it'll be up by the end of the day**


	7. Chapter 7

A few days after Jack's visit, Kimiko only left her room to eat. Although she was allowed out she felt scared.

'You're such a chicken. He may be a nice person,' she would think to herself, 'Besides the potion couldn't have made him deadly.'

On some occasions the others would make visits to her room to make sure Wuya hadn't harmed her. When she was alone she found a lot of joy painting the sunrise in the early morning and spent the other portion of her day adding touch ups to her art.

It was then that an issue occurred. She soon had an urge to paint sunsets, instead of sunrises. But since the sun rose in the east (her side of the manor) and set in the west she couldn't get a good view accurately.

'There aren't that many windows in the western area though,' she remembered from her last visit, 'except that big room that leads to the mystery guest's room.'

She swore out loud. She very well couldn't walk right into the domain of the person she feared. And even Wuya was scared of him and she doesn't scare easily.

'Perhaps,' she thought, 'If I sneak in right before sunset and take a quick picture.'

It was perfect timing too, Wuya and the others including Jack would be going to the mall soon. That way no one would know. Of course, the thought came to her, no one will be here to hear her scream either. She shivered at the thought. But then canceled it out, 'No,' she thought, 'They'll be gone until 7pm. And the guest will probably stay in his room like always,' she reassured herself as she prepared for her escapade later that day.

Briskly walking through the western side she tried to recall the exact path she took. And soon arrived at that familiar door. She sighed deeply and slowly opened it. The door on the other side was shut as always. She held her breath as she quietly walked over to the ragged curtains; quickly she pulled open a small section as not to make noise. And for the first time, in a long time the sun shown on a small area of the room.

Kimiko readied her camera as the sun was just about to set on the horizon.

Snap she got the picture, 'Ok now I'm out of here,' she closed the curtains back and hustled for the door.

But upon opening it on the other side Kimiko came face to face with the mysterious guest.

Actually he was a young man, maybe slightly older than her. He was about 6inches taller than her too with long black hair with a hint of green in it. His eyes were golden but his pupils resembled that of a cat's . He wore a black T-shirt with dark green loose pants.

There was silence between them for a moment as his intense glare studied her. He didn't even seem surprised that she was in there. He stood as if he had been waiting for her to come out.

"Kimiko, correct?" he asked in a calm voice.

She smiled, "Yes, Kimiko Tohomiko," she bowed, "And you are?"

He smirked, "Chase Young," he bowed only his head, "Pleased to meet you, finally."

"Finally?" she asked.

"Spicer mentioned something about you."

She grinned, "So you're the 6th," she stated.

"So you've heard about me," he raised an eyebrow, coolly.

"A few things," she smiled casually.

He kept his eyebrow raised studying her again.

A moment of silence passed, "Well I'd better be getting back," she side stepped him.

She walked a few feet not looking back when he finally said, "How can you get back if you don't know the way?"

She stopped trying to think up a response, 'How does he know that,' but before she could reply he was already pulling on her hand, leading her in the right direction.

After a few moments he was still holding her hand leading her down a different path, 'Well he seems normal for the most part. What could the potion have done?"

Kimiko searched him with her eyes. Besides being incredibly handsome, there didn't seem to be any abnormalities.

At one time he glanced back at her with his sly look. Kimiko did her best to keep her camera out of sight.

"So," she started walking next to him while smoothly slipping her hand from his grip, "Why did you come here?"

He grinned, "Curious aren't we?"

"I can't help it. Sometimes my curiosity gets the better of me."

Chase glanced back in the direction they had come, "I see."

Kimiko's mouth dropped, "No, no," she frantically stammered, "I wasn't trying to…what I mean is…the reason I came is because I wanted a picture of the sunset. And your part of the manor is the only one that…"

"Did it ever occur to you to take your picture outside," he cut in, "Not that I'm complaining," he added coolly.

Kimiko blushed and lowered her head as he gave her a smile that made her heart thump, 'Could this be flirting, father?'

"Well," he finally said, "Here we are," he stopped directly at her room."

'How'd he know?'

"I'll be going now," he bowed his head again and turned away.

"Wait!" she yelled. She had just met the mystery guest that she had been obsessing over for the past week and she was not about to let him leave without getting some of her questions answered, "Would you like to come in for a moment?"

He grinned, "I don't know."

"Please," she begged with her big blue eyes.

He rolled his eyes to the ceiling, "Fine."

"Great," she opened the door for him.

"So how long have you been a painter, Kimiko?" he asked admiring one of her many works laying around the room.

"Just recently actually," she said from her closet where she was putting her camera in a safe place, "I needed something to take my mind off of my boredom."

"Interesting," he murmured.

"Hey, Chase," she came out putting her hair in a ponytail, "Does Jack come to visit you often?"

He smirked walking over to her, "Only to bring me food."

"What about Wuya?" she added casually.

His eyes squinted, "I hate her. If she did come and visit me I don't know what I'd do," the tone of his voice gave her the shivers.

Chase glanced around her room again and noticed for the second time the journal hidden underneath her pillow, "What's that?"

"You can see that?" she walked over cuddling it in her arms, "Its my only connection to my father."

"Where is your father?"

"Dead," she carefully examined the journal which she held so dear, "He gave it to me when I was 5 and he told me that if he ever went away, that I could write to him everyday he's gone and give it back to him to read when he got back. I never really used it that much when I was little but now I've decided to write in it everyday until I can visit his grave again."

Chase smiled thoughtfully and put a hand on her shoulder. She smiled back, "I guess it is kind of silly."

"Not really," he casually strolled over to the window with his back to her, "At least your father left you with something."

"Why? What happened to yours?"

He turned around, "Your curiosity again."

She smiled biting her lip. He smirked and glanced the now star filled sky, "I'll be taking my leave soon."

"Why?" she asked setting her journal down.

"You ask a lot of questions, don't you," he headed for the door keeping his beautiful eyes on her as he passed.

"And you haven't given me a straight answer yet," she followed.

He merely shrugged with his back to her, "The rumors you hear," he said seriously, "There would be no fun in them if I told you the truth behind them."

Her eyes widened, "So you know about the rumors."

"All of them to be exact. Isn't that the reason why you asked me in here? To shed some light on them," he opened the door and was about to step out when he felt her grab his arm. He looked over at her with his smug smile gone.

"You're right," she hung her head, "I apologize. But to make it up to you won't you come and sit with me at breakfast, lunch, or dinner tomorrow?"

"I'm not big on crowds."

"Well how about we eat in my room I don't mind or I could come visit you tomorrow, if you don't mind."

He thought for a moment and his smiled reappeared, "I'll think about it," he turned around and bowed his whole body this time. He politely kissed her hand and left the room without another word.


	8. Chapter 8

"You like to paint, right?" Jack said standing over her as she looked up at him.

"What's this," she asked, groggy from being deep in thought.

He smiled nervously, "A paint set," he handed her the little kit.

"Oh thanks," she replied putting her journal down. She had casually closed the page she was writing in since she had drawn a picture of Chase while thinking of him.

She studied the rather expensive looking kit now in her possession.

"Yeah I got it for you yesterday when we went to the mall."

She smiled as he sat down next to her in their normal spot for lunch. It wasn't quit lunch yet but they had made a habit to show up early so that they could talk without the lunch commotion.

But today Kimiko's mind was on Chase. He hadn't shown up for breakfast and she wasn't quit sure if he would come to lunch either.

She faked a happy grin for Jack and sat the kit next to her journal, 'I guess it was too much to hope for, right father."

Kimiko lazily picked at her French fries. She sighed heavily, 'I guess this is what rejection feels like. But why do I care I mean the mystery is pretty much over. I know who Chase is and what he's like, sorta, but why can't I stop thinking about him?'

"Hey Kimiko?" Clay asked from his gorging on a triply patty cheeseburger with extra pickles, "Are you gonna eat the rest of those?"

"Take em," she handed him the plate.

Kimiko's grief caught Wuya's attention, "Hmm, looks like our preppy princess is feeling down," she said in a teasing voice, "Maybe out joker can cheer you up," Her eyes wondered over towards Jack.

Kimiko rolled her eyes at Wuya but Jack kept his eyes on Kimiko. She hadn't even bothered to open up her new kit, "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Naaa," she rested her chin on her hand.

Jack hated to see his friend so upset, "How about I get you a refill on that juice," he smiled grabbing her cup, 'Kimiko loves Hawaiian Punch,' he thought to himself as he went to the back room.

Really Kimiko hadn't noticed he was gone. She closed her eyes for a moment and contemplated putting her head down or to just deal with her now very painful heartache.

At least until she heard a voice ask, "Is this seat taken?"

Her eyes opened wide, she knew that voice, "No of course not," she smiled up at Chase, totally forgetting that Jack had that seat.

He smiled politely sitting down. Kimiko smiled wide, she couldn't believe he'd actually came. It took her a moment to notice that the rest of the room had gone silent.

She glanced over towards Dashi and Omi, they both just stared with an expression of shock on both of their faces. Wuya was completely still gazing at him as if she had been paralyzed from head to toe. Even Clay and Jessie had stopped eating.

Chase ignored them, "So Kimiko what's that you have there?" he gestured towards her kit.

"Oh," she said snapping back, "This is a kit that Jack….," she just realized, 'OH NO JACK!!!"

But it was too late Jack had already just walked through the doors with the glass of Hawaiian Punch filled to the top. For a moment he stood there in shock like the rest but he came to his senses quicker.

"Um here's your refill, Kimiko, I got your favorite."

"Thanks," she felt horrible for giving his seat away.

"Hey Chase," Jack faked being happy, "Do you want your lunch, now?"  
"No," he raised a hand, "I'll take it later. I just came to see Kimiko."

"Cool," Jack nodded, "I'll just go get another chair for myself. Be right back," he walked back to through the door.

Kimiko was now verbally abusing herself in her head when she heard Chase's voice, "So Wuya, how have you been?" he said semi kindly.

Everyone's eyes at the table shot towards her. She half grinned nervously, "Good, good," the fear was obvious in her voice, "I see you've grown, last time I saw you, you were just barely at my waist," she blinked as beads of sweat started to run down her face, "How tall are you now?"

"6 feet," he responded casually.

Wuya gulped and shot out of her chair so quick that it fell backwards, "D…d…darn, I almost forgot, I've got some papers to fill out," she hustled towards the door avoiding Chase's side of the table, "S…sorry kids I'll have to eat with you later, I guess."

And with that she was gone.

The whole room was completely silent. Everyone was wide eyed, still looking at the door, except for Chase. He looked as if nothing happened, as if he had just killed a bug and kept walking.

"WOOOEEE!" Clay finally hollered, "That was the quickest I've seen Wuya run since high heels went on sale," he laughed heartily.

"Shoot, you sure are right about that big brother," Jessie joined in his laughter.

Omi smiled big and Dashi just grinned going back to his laid back mode.

Kimiko sighed with relief, everyone was back to normal and there was no more weird silence.

"What I miss?" Jack asked bringing a chair over to sit on the opposite side of Kimiko.

"Just about the funniest display ever witnessed!" Clay laughed.

"Chase here sent Wuya running," Jessie clarified.

'Chase,' Kimiko thought, 'The guy everyone in the manor was scared of is now on a first name basis after 2 minutes'

She smiled, 'Well I guess if anyone could get rid of Wuya that fast is alright with this group,' she laughed out loud.

"Chase?" Clay asked, "How about you and Kimiko come and watch me and Jessie wrestle a bull after lunch."

"Sure," he grinned, "Only if Kimiko comes," he put his arm around her chair.

"Of course, I've always wanted to see a bull get wrestled."

"Hey, hey," Jack piped up, "I wanna come too."


	9. Chapter 9

**I guess I had to put him in sooner or later. **

"Master Fung, what a pleasant surprise," Wuya responded into the other end of the receiver.

She waited a moment listening to the response, "Of course Sir. The new girl is adjusting quit well," 'A little too well,' she thought.

"Oh wow, a new guest!" she faked happiness.

"No problem, I'll be at the train station first thing in the morning."

He responded again, "But before you go Sir, May I ask what his name is and what he's into? Just so I have some background information to make sure that he has the best time while he's here."

After the response a sly grin appeared on her face, "Thank you, Sir….Alright…Good bye," she hung up the phone.

"I hope Chase can handle a little competition. Let's see if this Pedrosa kid is enough for the Preppy Princess," she cackled to herself.


	10. Chapter 10

Dear Father,

Chase and I are now spending more time together. Everyday he comes at lunch and Jack reluctantly gives up his seat to him. Then after lunch we both go and hang out with the other kids for a while. But later we go back to my room and just talk for a few hours. I've found out that he's really quit nice. I don't see what big flaw the potion left him with. But I'll never ask him, I'm just glad he's around.

It makes us laugh sometimes when the other kids keep saying that we're dating. Don't tell anyone father, but I wish we were. But sadly he's too much of a gentleman to make it official. Right now we're just really good friends. Here's to hoping, father.

She put her journal down as there was a knock at here door. She smiled half expecting Chase but when she opened the door it was just Jack, "Hi, Jack."

"Hi Kimiko, I came to tell you that we just got a new kid in this morning."  
"A new kid," she smiled, "Is that where Wuya went so early?"  
"Yeah, I glanced him this morning when I went to pick them up but since it was still dark out I couldn't get a good look at him."

"Wow," she looked at the clock, "Its almost breakfast," she grinned pulling him down the hall. 'Finally I'm not the new kid anymore.'

Later in the dining room Kimiko had taken her normal place although today she was sitting alone. Since Jack was asked to show the new kid where the dining hall was and Chase usually didn't show up for breakfast. But Kimiko didn't mind, she was just so happy to finally meet someone new.

Already she had been in the manor for three months and wouldn't have minded to see a new face. Although the others at the table didn't really seem to care. They acted exactly the same, just like on her first day. The only other one who had a noticeable change in behavior was Wuya. She seemed quit content, even though she had complained of being tired the day she had brought Kimiko to the manor. But it made Kimiko uneasy for even Wuya's usual cautiousness of Chase had disappeared.

Kimiko frowned in thought, 'I hope this guy isn't like Wuya.'

And just as this crossed her mind the door opened. It was Jack, followed by a boy. This boy was obviously a Brazilian with his tan skin and brown hair. But it wasn't those qualities that caught Kimiko's attention, it was his deep beautiful green eyes and his athletically built body.

Kimiko's jaw dropped as Wuya announced loudly, "Ahh, Raimundo," she was extra giddy when she said his name, "Please Clay scoot your chair over and Jack bring him a seat."

Clay was a little dumbfounded for the old hag had never called him by his name. She would usually address him as hillbilly or country bumpkin, but he did as he was told and a chair was brought for Raimundo, right across from Kimiko.

Kimiko tried not to look directly at him for fear she would blush. "Wassup?" Raimundo said to no one in particular.

And since Kimiko was usually the most talkative and chatty one at the table, everyone was silent. When she wouldn't respond and kept her gave at the table Clay finally answered to be polite, "Howdy partner," he shook his hand, "My name is Clay, and this here is Jessie my little sister," he pointed to the fat blond sitting next to him, "And across from you is Kimiko and Jack."

"Nice to meet you," Raimundo answered to the group.

Jack nodded and Kimiko raised a hand as if preoccupied with reading her journal.

"Down there," Clay finally said, a little taken back by Kimiko's silence, "is Dashi and his cousin Omi. And you've already met Wuya."

"Yeah," Raimundo shivered to himself as if remembering the pain of meeting Wuya.

Kimiko was the only one that noticed this and let out an uncontrollable chuckle, "I know that feeling," she said to herself out loud.

Raimundo smiled at hearing the girl's voice for the first time. And as she had noticed him, he noticed how beautiful she was. Her hair was long and down with her blue eyes although downcast shown beautifully when they hit the light.

Kimiko looked up at him, observing her. She had already planned millions of questions to ask the new kid but none came to mind when she looked into his eyes now, except for one, "So why are you here?"

"Well this Master Fung dude wanted to take in an orphan for a while as a good deed and I guess I was the lucky orphan," his Brazilian accent shown just as clearly as Clay's cowboy accent.

"Cool," she smiled, "I used to live to the far east of here."

He grinned recalling the events of the early morning…

_He boarded the train with the strange woman. After he got off the plane from Brazil he didn't at all expect to see a woman like her waiting for him._

"_Raimundo?" she asked from the lobby in an innocent voice._

"_Yes ma'am that's me," he replied coolly._

_The train ride took 3 hours and he was already tired, but she wanted to talk, "So I hear you're into sports."_

"_Yeah football, basketball, soccer especially."  
_"_Interesting," she pressed the tips of her fingers together, "And with a body like that you must have to beat the females off with a stick."_

_He was uncomfortable speaking to an older woman of this but couldn't help to reply to his favorite subject, "Yeah I like the ladies a lot," he grinned._

_Her scary smile widened, "My dear boy, I think you may be able to assist me in a slight issue I have with one of the children I look over."_

"_What?" he asked._

"_Well I must admit to you that there are only two other females, besides me around your age in the manor."_

_Raimundo's eye brow rose, 'Darn, I was at least hoping there'd be more.'_

"_But one is extremely beautiful and closer to your age than the other," Wuya continued, "So I was hoping you'd do me the favor of keeping her 'occupied' while I finish some important business that she keeps interfering with."_

'_Oh a bad girl," he thought happily, 'just my type.'_

_Wuya reached over from her side of the booth and placed one long slender hand on his knee, "So will you help me?"_

"_Wuya, you got yourself a deal."_


	11. Chapter 11

Jack shifted uneasily in his chair as he watched Kimiko and Raimundo hit it off. He hated watching her be manipulated like this and he knew very well what Wuya's plan was. At that moment when Raimundo reached over to put his hand on Kimiko Jack wanted to scream out Wuya's plan but couldn't for his fear of her.

It was lunch and Jack knew Chase would be arriving soon. Jack shuttered to think what Chase would do if he walked in at that moment. 'Oh no, his temper and that darn potion will give Chase an advantage if Raimundo and Chase deck it out,' Jack knew Wuya had purposely failed to inform Raimundo of the potential danger in this.

But the thing Jack hated more was that the girl he had, had a crush on since the moment he finally got a good look at her, was mixed up in Wuya's plans. He remembered when he burst through the doors of Chase's chamber just as she was about to open the door and when she turned around her beautiful blue eyes captivated him, although he did his best to hide his feelings since then.

Jack frowned looking at both of Raimundo's hands which now held Kimiko's and she made no move to free herself. He turned his head at the display and stood up hastily to go to the back room, "I'm getting the food now," he said in a harsh tone.

'I wonder what Jack's problem is," Kimiko thought as she watched him disappear into the back room.

She glanced down at her captured hands. She knew she probably should pull back but her inner teenager didn't want to when she looked at this green eyed Brazilian across from her.

Wuya's smile brightened at this as her slightly pointed ears twitched. 'Don't tell me she has super fine hearing too,' Kimiko thought, 'I wonder what she just heard.'

But just as this thought crossed her mind the entrance doors opened and there in the doorway was Chase. He walked in as if it were natural when he finally noticed where Kimiko's hands were, and more importantly, who was holding them.

Everyone in the room now had their eyes on Chase. Some eyes displayed fear or shock but Wuya's displayed enthusiasm. Chase's expression was unreadable as he walked over to his normal seat beside her.

Kimiko quickly inhaled and stood up hugging him saying, "Chase where have you been, you're a little late today. I couldn't wait to tell you that we got a new kid, Raimundo, this morning," she gestured towards him coming out of the one sided hug.

Everyone continued to stare at Chase, except for Raimundo who appeared ignorant to the matter unfolding right in front of him. He merely gazed up at him in a casual way. Until finally Chase reached over the table, "Chase Young, nice to meet you," he shook his hand.

"Likewise," Raimundo responded.

And when Chase finally sat down and everyone let out an exhale that they had seemingly been holding in, Jack came through the doors with the food when secretly he had been watching from the kitchen.

Lunch wasn't so normal that day, even though Clay and Jessie gorged on their food as normal, there was a thick line of tension flowing from all the males sitting by Kimiko, including Jack.

Chase had already put his arm around Kimiko's chair to show fair warning that she was already taken, although nothing was official.

Raimundo ignored this being the 'playa' that he was, "So Kimiko do you want to give me a tour of the manor after this," he asked in a flirty way.

Kimiko glanced over at Chase, "I would like to but Chase and I already have plans for after lunch."

"Ok, some other time then," he said coolly, "What are you two doing anyway?"

"Kimiko and I," Chase cut in, "Are going to the pool," he smiled at her.

"Yeah good plan," Raimundo responded, "It's really hot out, not as hot as Brazil but still. I think I'll join."

Kimiko's eyes widened as she looked over at Chase who still had his cool expression, "O…ok," Kimiko started, "If Chase doesn't mind."

Chase merely shrugged, "Fine by me."

Jack who, in spending so many years with Wuya, could sense the angry vibes going back and forth through these guys. But they did hide it well from Kimiko, 'What a relief at least she won't get caught in the middle of this knowingly,' he glared over at Wuya who looked as if she wished she had brought popcorn.

* * *

The pool water was cool and refreshing. It was an outside pool on a large balcony on the eastern side of the manor. Kimiko relaxed over at the shallow edge in a two piece bathing suit. Her and Jessie were exchanging fashion tips and splashed a beach ball around every now and again.

While at the deep end Chase and Raimundo sat on opposite sides facing each other. Jack floated near by on a noodle. It was true that both boys could not intimidate the other as far as looks went. They were both quit handsome and had large muscles. So the secret war that was going on between these two was not to be settled on their physical qualities.

Chase would occasionally glance towards Kimiko, 'A beautiful girl, with a great love for art as I do,' he stared back at Raimundo, 'if this potion's effect is not taken away soon, I'll lose her once she discovers the truth.'

Meanwhile Raimundo was watching him, 'Wuya never mentioned I'd have competition,' he smirked, 'but that makes this one all the more interesting. And such a hot body that girl has. I'll definitely enjoy this.'

Jack swam cautiously between the two, 'What's he smirking about,' he thought watching Raimundo, 'I hate this. I mean if I cannot win Kimiko over she should at least go to someone who truly cares for her, like Chase,' he hated to admit to himself.

Jack casually looked at Raimundo, or at least the spot Raimundo had just been. He turned his head trying to find where the boy went, when he finally saw him he was down at the other end flirting with Kimiko. And unfortunately Chase was walking over with a look of pure hatred in his eyes but his cool look still plastered on his face.


	12. Chapter 12

"Hey Kim, do you want to go out later?" Raimundo asked standing by her at the pool.

Kimiko half smiled, "Well…I," she started.

"Kimiko, I had hoped you would show me how to do that brush stroke for the painting I've been working on," Chase cut in.

"Dude," Raimundo responded, "I think I was already asking her something."

"Dude?" Chase mocked, "Your form of speech is most…primitive."

"Hey, hey, hey, I don't need a pompous pretty boy with a stick up his butt telling me how to speak!" Raimundo clenched his hands into fists.

Chase stood his ground and made no move to fight, "I'm not stooping down to your level and I won't create a scene in front of the ladies."

Raimundo frowned and folded his arms, "Fine, if you're that scared that I'll kick your butt I'll let you off easy!" he smirked, "I should've known you'd be girly with that long hair of yours."

"Raimundo!" Kimiko warned.

Chase frowned at his hurt pride. His eyes squinted but he kept his composure although he was boiling with anger inside. It was then he felt the twinges of the inner force inside of him. It was the side effect of that youth potion no doubt, but he had long since learned to control these twinges. They only occurred when he got mad. He and Jack sensed this coming at the same time. And they both knew that if he continued to quarrel with Raimundo there would be much to answer for within a few minutes.

He was about to walk away when Raimundo continued, "Kimiko I don't know why you waste your time, before you know it he'll be wearing light green dresses to match that feminine hair of his."

Chase who now had his back turned to them, curled his upper lip. And the veins in his eyes shown clearly. He turned around slowly and the glare he had made Kimiko gasp, 'What's going on?' she thought, 'He looks so inhuman.'

"Chase!" Jack strolled over, "I need your help with something in my lab!" he put his hand on his shoulder leading him away.

Chase went willingly letting out his deep breathes silently.

"Yeah, that's what I thought!" Raimundo yelled after, "Sissy boy!"

Chase ignored this and Jack gave Raimundo a death glare, 'If I hadn't stepped in you'd be mince meat by now.'

* * *

"Jack how is that cure coming?" Chase asked sitting near by Jack's working table down in his lab.

"Well its better than it was a few years ago," he responded while mixing together some chemicals, "But Chase can I ask how long you've been in that form?"

Chase shrugged, "Its been a little over 3 hours… today."

"Chase," Jack whined, "You know you can't do that. You're already pushing it as is. If you stay in that form for too long…"

"I know, I know, I'd run out of time and then I'd be permanently in the other form. Look don't worry, I've been in the other form for several years now."

"But have you forgotten, that each year you spend in the other form is equivalent to one day in this human form? And you've been spending so much time with Kimiko lately in this form that I'm sure you don't have that much time left."

"Don't worry so much, I'm maintaining my time."

"Ok, ok just remember its got to balance out," Jack replied.

Chase remained silent for a moment until he finally responded, "Thanks for getting me out of that situation earlier."

"Yeah, yeah," he poured a blue chemical into a green one, "Just don't expect me to be around all the time. Whenever that jerk is getting on your nerves just calm down…do your deep breathing or something."

"But that's just it, I can't," he yelled in a frustrated manner, "I don't know when I'm going to black out."

Jack put his chemicals down and turned to face Chase and raised his goggles, "Wait, you haven't blacked out in 5 years! Remember last time you nearly gave Wuya a heart attack, it probably would've been worse if I hadn't been there!"

Chase sighed, "I thought I had learned to control it too."

Jack rubbed his chin thoughtfully, "Chase…I think you'll have to tell Kimiko the truth about yourself sooner or later."

Chase stood up quickly, "No I can't, she'll never look at me the same way again."

Jack folded his arms, "The only 'look' she'll give you is a look of understanding and trust. But if you don't tell her and you have another crisis like today think of the look she'll give you when she finds out on her own."

Chase sighed again and headed towards the door, "I just don't know what to do."

Jack lowered his head, "Chase wait."

"Yes?" he asked.

"There's something I have to tell you…its about Kimiko."

* * *

She tried her best to ignore him the whole time they stayed at the pool but he was so persistant.

"So Kimiko, like I was saying earlier about you and me," he put his arm around her as the group walked away from the pool.

She shoved him off quickly, "Are you kidding!" she yelled, "After the way you treated Chase! It was inexcusable!"

Clay and Jessie who had been the only other ones there decided to leave to give them a little privacy.

"What's your problem!" Raimundo yelled back, "You should be happy I got rid of him for you!"

"Yeah right," she retorted, "He's my best friend and I can't believe you'd say something like that!" she stalked off.

He watched her walk away and stood there for a moment until he finally shrugged, "What I do?!"


	13. Chapter 13

Wuya walked away from the window high above the pool. She snarled curling up her lip revealing her fangs. She stomped over to the couch in her dark spooky room plopping down and banging her fists into the cushion, "Stupid, stupid boy!!!"

Her nostrils flared and her eyes twitched, "I never should've trusted him with this! If only I still had my powers!"

"Wuya, Wuya, Wuya don't you ever quit?" a voice asked from the shadows.

She looked around, "Who dares come into my room."

Dashi emerged out the darkness smirking.

Her eyes widened, "What do you want here?" she kept her voice low this time.

He walked over, "I suggest you start behaving yourself more."

She crossed her arms and looked away, "Don't scold me like a child. I have minions older than you."

He shook his head, "But where are those minions," he asked sarcastically, "Oh I remember, they're in that jar along with all of your powers."

"Shut up!" she yelled.

"And," he continued ignoring her, "The only one that can open it is a human."

She growled in her throat while glaring at him.

"And we both know very well that no one, not even that young boy down there will open that jar for you," he walked over to look out the window.

Her eyes narrowed, "Do you have a point?"

"My point is that you should change your attitude."

She stuck out her lips, "And what is your right to tell me this?"

"Nothing special," he shrugged, "except I am the keeper of the puzzle box."

Wuya gasped and pointed a finger at him in a horrified way, "Y…you said you'd never threaten me with that!"

"And you said you'd behave," he raised in eye brow in a smug way.

She clenched her fists and frowned deeply, "Get out of my room you jerk!"

"Fine, fine," he raised a hand, "Just think about this little talk we just had," and with that he walked out the door closing it behind him.

Wuya squinted her eyes and clutched a pillow so tightly that her claws began to rip at its fabric, 'He can't scare me,' she tried to calm down, 'Besides he can't open it, but one of those brats probably can.' She rubbed her chin in thought, 'But who?'

She screeched in frustration, "I need someone to open that jar for me!!" she huffed loudly for a few moments and stalked over to a table with a strange cloth covering something on top of it. She ripped off the cloth quickly and gazed at an old dusty crystal ball. She waved her hands over it a few times until an image appeared, 'Good thing I still have some of my powers,' she thought watching for a moment as a smirk slowly crept its way upon her face, 'And I think I know just the person willing to help me.'

* * *

"Please wait Chase! I'm sorry!" Jack yelled into the dark hallway outside of his lab. Chase had stormed off already and was no where in sight. Jack sighed hanging his head, recalling what just happened.

"_Chase I know you don't need this right now but I have to tell you…that…that…I'm in love with Kimiko too," he said quickly taking a breath afterwards._

_Chase's eyes widened first and then they slowly squinted into a look of pure hatred. He clenched his fist bringing it to his chest as if he had just been shot. And the glare he was giving Jack was like nothing he had ever seen before._

"_Now Chase I couldn't help myself…I…I," but that was all he could get out before Chase walked out without a word._

Now Jack was alone in the hallway and deeply regretting what he had just confessed. He must have stood out there for a good ten minutes feeling sorry for himself.  
It was quiet for a moment until he heard a pitiful voice from down another direction of the hall, "Jack," the voice moaned.

Jack looked up but all he could see was darkness, "Jack," the voice moaned again.

"Who's there?" he asked concealing his fear.

He only put down his guard when he saw those beautiful blue eyes peering at him through the darkness which slowly revealed the rest of her perfect body, "Kimiko."

She looked as if she had been crying and her breath came in short gasps, "Jack, I was, I was attacked," she clutched her limp arm tightly with the other and her body looked as if it had been battered badly.

He ran over to her balancing her small frame with his, "What happened? Who did this?"

Her eyes closed tightly as tears ran down her face, "I…I was so upset with Raimundo after what he did to Chase," she paused clutching her arm tighter, "And when I left he followed after me and asked me if I loved him more. But then Chase came by at the same time and asked me if I loved him more and they both decided I had to choose. They already seemed so mad and I truly couldn't love either of them the way I love you."

Jack's eyes widened at this, "And," she continued, "When I couldn't give them a straight answer Chase transformed into a reptilian like monster and Raimundo just got so mad that they both…," she paused to reveal the spot she had been clutching to show that her arm had a three claw marks and Jack had just noticed that most of her body was covered in bruises.

Jack's mouth widened and suddenly he was filled with rage, "Those two…"

"Please Jack don't be mad at them," her eyes were filled with tears.

Jack sighed blocking out his rage, "I'll get you some medical help now," he said leading her into his lab.

"Jack," she said weakly, "Wuya witnessed this and she was the one who broke up the fight. She said she could easily heal me if I opened up her jar of magic."

Jack's eyes widened, "Did you?"

"No," she shook her head, "I told her I'd ask you and she went to call an ambulance. But please I truly think Wuya has changed."

"Changed?" Jack asked.

"Yes, Jack and I think we can trust her," she held her sore arm again looking down at it. And when she slowly looked back up at Jack she smiled weakly, "Trust me on this Jack," she whimpered in pain, "Don't you trust me?"

Jack took a breath and looked away in thought, and then looked back into her beautiful eyes. Finally he nodded, "I trust you. I'll do it."


	14. Chapter 14

'I didn't do anything wrong, all I was doing was following Wuya's orders,' Raimundo had changed from his bathing suit after Kimiko left him at the pool and was now wondering around thinking to himself, 'And I thought this girl would be easy, instead she's more of a challenge. But that makes chasing after her so much more interesting,' he sighed, 'But I cant start having feelings for her. I…I just can't.'

Raimundo's thoughts were cut short as he heard foot steps coming towards him. The manor had developed a sudden dark cloud over it as if something was wrong and the windows didn't produce much light leaving most of the hallways dark and empty. Raimundo squinted to see who it was, 'It better not be Chase.'

Thankfully it wasn't but the small delicate figure of Kimiko appeared before. She grinned in a flirtatious way looking up at him innocently.

"I'm guessing you're not still mad at me," he stated feeling rather awkward as her eyes fluttered.

"No," she giggled in a perky way, "I was way too rash earlier," she rocked back and forth on her feet.

Raimundo raised an eyebrow, 'What's with her all of a sudden?'

"And I'd like to make it up to you," she continued giving him a mischievous grin.

Normally Rai would be happily bouncing off the walls but her sudden change in mood made him nervous, "Uhh…Kimiko I…," he started but didn't get a chance to finish for she gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

All he could do was smile like a little boy would after experiencing his first puppy love.

Her grinned widened, "There's more where that came from," she grabbed his hand and pulled out a pen out of nowhere and began writing on his hand, "Follow these directions and meet me there in a few minutes," she then skipped past him, "Have a nifty day!"

* * *

'I can't believe Spicer would do this to me!' Chase thought storming down random hallways, 'I've been his only friend in this rotten place for over 15 years!'

He sighed looking into a mirror hung on a wall, "You're not me," he said out loud, "This is not the real me."

He looked down at his temporary body, 'Kimiko will never accept the real me. And with Raimundo and Jack out there to steal her I'll never be able to win her over.'

"Chase?" a voice asked, "Is that you?" Kimiko appeared out of the darkness.

"Kimiko?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah I just came to tell you I'm sorry about Rai and what he said to you," she got closer, "I came to find you shortly after."

He remained silent examining her. She took his hand in hers and continued, "And there's something I've been meaning to tell you," she got close to him and looked up at him with her blue eyes, "I love you and I don't know where I'd be without you," she hugged him.

His eyes squinted and he didn't return her hug. Instead he grasped her shoulders tightly and pushed her a few feet away.

Her eyes widened and she looked incredibly sad, "You don't love me too?" she asked.

"Shut up!" he frowned, "Wuya."

* * *

Jack carefully turned the knob to the correct combination to his safe, "1…2…3…and…," the lock clicked open, "Simple as that."

Kimiko sat at a chair nearby rolling her eyes, 'Like that's original.'

Jack pulled out a jar filled with glowing green liquid. He carefully slid it out of the safe and brought it over to his lab table. He popped the lid open for her and the glow increased from the opening.

Kimiko eyed it anxiously trying to contain a smirk, "Now," Jack started, "Are you sure you trust Wuya."

"Positive," she contained her excitement, "Here I'll take it to Wuya's room so she can heal me," she grabbed it wrapping her slender arms around it as if it was a treasure chest.

"Do you want me to come with you?" he asked attempting to follow her out.

"No, no," she answered quickly, "I'd be kind of embarrassed if you watched," she faked a blush, "How about you come in a few minutes, ok."

"O…ok," he replied, "See you soon."

"See you," and with that she disappeared into the darkness of the hall from whence she came. The only thing visible was the green glow of the jar which also dissolved into the darkness.


	15. Chapter 15

**Don't Worry I didnt forget this story just yet although I was thinking about wrapping it up soon...Anyway enjoy this chapter **

Dear Father,

Just when I thought things were going somewhat smoothly, Raimundo turns into a jerk! At first he was like the perfect guy (as far as looks go) and then all of a sudden he started acting stupid and made fun of Chase. But Jack being the sweetie that he is stepped in and got Chase out of there…Father, there was something odd about the look in Chase's eyes before Jack cut in. I'm not sure where Chase is now but I guess I should give him some time to cool off. And I'm not sure what I'm going to do about Raimundo. I guess there are just some things about boys that girls just aren't meant to understand.

Kimiko put her journal down on her bed where she had been sitting and continued to blow dry her hair from the pool. She had already taken a shower and had been in her room for about half an hour.

'Strange,' she thought walking over to her window, 'With all this commotion the manor seems to be very quiet,' she gazed up towards the sky, 'And the clouds seem so dark.'

Since her window overlooked the pool area she could see it quit clearly, 'Hey,' a dark figure caught her eye from the window high above the pool. The figure closed the curtains but that didn't stop a few flashes of green light from seeping through, 'I wonder whose room that is.'

Kimiko turned around when she heard a knock at her door, 'Wow I wasn't expecting any visitors on a day like this,' she walked towards it, "Who is it?"

"Come back here you old witch!" Chase commanded running after the fake Kimiko.

She merely cackled glancing behind her and zoomed off.

Chase could barely keep up even though he was quit fast, 'Must be some sort of witch super speed,' she turned a few corners and eventually got him off of her trail.

But Chase was determined keeping a quick pace to where he thought she had gone and upon turning a corner he bumped into Raimundo who was staring at his hand with a dumbfounded expression.

Raimundo glanced him quickly taking a few steps back, "Watch it dude!"

"I have no time for your pathetic excuse of the English language," he brushed himself off hurrying past Raimundo looking in all directions, "Did you see Kimiko come this way?"

Raimundo stared back at his hand, "Give it up bro, she wants me. And no I didn't see her but she did give me some instructions to her room," he held out the scribbles written on his hand.

Chase examined his hand for a moment, "First, that's not even her hand writing. It's far too sloppy. Second, don't ever call me your 'bro' again. The last thing I want is to be called a relative to your kind."

"My kind!?"

"Yes," Chase folded his arm, "The first stages of early man…or monkeys for short."

"Hey!" Raimundo grinded his teeth, "Don't start with me," he looked at his hand again, "Besides I've got a date with destiny," he strode past Chase, "I'm really starting to think me and Kimiko are meant to be."

Chase shook his head putting his hand to his forehead in an aggravated way, "I shouldn't even tell you this, but I hate to see a poor fool suffer," he put a hand on Raimundo's shoulder, "Most likely that wasn't Kimiko that gave you this. It was probably that witch Wuya in disguise."

Raimundo shrugged off his hand, "What!?"

Chase rolled his eyes, "I realize you're slow but do I really have to repeat myself?"

"Shut up!" Raimundo turned away from him, "I need to find her room."

"On the far east side of the manor?" Chase asked coolly.

"Yep."

"That's funny," he rubbed his chin sarcastically, "Because Kimiko's room is at the boarder line of the east and the west part of the manor!"

"How would you know," Raimundo turned back towards him, "I just saw Kimiko and she even kissed me. You're probably just trying to keep her all to yourself."

Chase's eye brow raised high and his face looked like he wanted to gag as he thought of the idea of Raimundo kissing Wuya…or anyone kissing Wuya for that manner. He shook his head quickly removing the horrible image from his mind and decided to leave it alone, "Look Raimundo," he said as plainly as possible as if her were speaking to a child, "I was just with Kimiko and you say you were just with her. How is that possible?" he tapped on his head trying to get it through Raimundo's skull.

Raimundo waved a hand, "Whatever dude. I'm going to Kimiko's room," and this time he walked away at a faster pace.

"I'm coming too," Chase caught up to him.

"Why so you can steal my girl?"

"No," Chase smirked, "To prove you wrong."

'I sure hope Kimiko's healing went ok,' Jack thought as he followed the memorized path to Wuya's room, 'Now lets see I just take a left and I'm home free…,' he saw Chase and Raimundo standing outside of the door looking at it wearily.

His forgotten rage returned to him all of a sudden, "Well, well, well," he walked over boldly, "If it isn't the two women beaters."

They looked over at him, "What are you talking about dude?" Raimundo asked.

"Don't play dumb with me," Jack stomped over pointing a finger in Rai's face.

"I think I should tell you…I don't think Raimundo 'plays' dumb," Chase added sarcastically.

Jack frowned getting in Chase's face, "Shut up! You're just as guilty as he is. And I thought you knew better than that! Using your other form to hurt a defenseless girl."

Chase blinked a few times as if he'd just been smacked and was just getting over the shock, "Spicer is this some kind of a joke because its not funny and I'm still mad at you anyway."

Jack merely shook his head ignoring Chase and standing right between them, "But I'm glad you both came to apologize. Although it doesn't make up for what you did to poor little Kimiko."

"Wait, what," Raimundo grabbed Jack's collar, "What'd we do to Kimiko?"

Jack rolled his eyes freeing himself from Raimundo's grip, "You know very well what you did. I'm glad Kimiko came to me after you two beat her up!"

There eyes widened, "When was this?!!" Raimundo asked.

"About half an hour ago! She came to me ready to collapse from pain and she told me how you two double teamed her. But I'm glad she confessed to me that she loved me," Jack smiled triumphantly.

"Spicer!" Chase yelled snapping Jack back from his fantasies, "You've known me for a good portion of your life, and you know very well I would never lay a finger on a woman."

"Yeah," Raimundo stepped in, "I may be the type of guy to have more than one girlfriend on the side but I'm not the woman beater pimp type of guy! Besides Kimiko was with me a half hour ago in good shape. She even kissed me!"

Jack's eyes widened as his anger increased, and before long Jack and Raimundo were arguing back and forth at who had won over her affections.

Chase closed his eyes for a moment, then he grabbed both of their heads and banged them into each other, "You Idiots! Its just what I've been saying, those were imitation Kimikos. They were all Wuya's doing!!"

They both starred at him a moment as if it had finally sunk. Then as if by command the huge door they had been standing in front of creaked open, "That's just like you Chase," Wuya's voice emerged from the darkness of the room, "You were always the smart one. Too bad your intellect failed you and you were foolish enough to drink that potion," three pairs of blue eyes appeared coming towards them, "Living the rest of your life in the solitary loneliness of that old scanty room.

"No way," Raimundo mumbled under his breath.

Jack bit his nails as he tried to keep his knees from buckling under him.

Chase's eyes squinted as three Kimikos appeared talking in unison using Wuya's voice, "Allow us to put you and your friends out of your misery," they each smiled revealing long fangs and their eyes turned a bright green. There grins crept across their faces as they all leapt for the unsuspecting trio of boys.


	16. Chapter 16

'This is where that weird light came from,' Kimiko thought standing in front of an odd looking door.

It had engravings of Dragons and ancient Chinese symbols, 'If only I had paid more attention in my Chinese Language class,' she studied it further, 'BEWARE…HEYLIN…MAGIC,' is all she could make out.

She grinned nervously, 'Well they don't have to tell me twice. I might've gone into Chase's room without permission but I'm not stupid enough to go in there,' she turned to walk away when she heard a girlish scream from the other side. Her eyes widened as she quickly pressed her ear against the solid door, 'That was Jack,' and now that she was closer she could hear some sort of commotion coming from inside.

Taking a deep breath she put her hand in her pocket feeling the object inside feeling reassured, 'Ok I have to go in there,' every ounce of her body screamed at her to push through the door and face whatever was on the other side. She held her breath and was about to turn the handle when all of a sudden her courage left her and she ran away in the direction she came, 'What am I…crazy!!!?"

* * *

Jack's shrill scream ran out again as he dodged a fake Kimiko who was charging at him.

"DUDE SHUT UP!" Raimundo yelled, his hands clenched tight on another Kimiko's hands trying to hold her off.

"He's right," Chase added grabbing a Kimiko by her legs and throwing her at a wall, "This is enough to bare! Your screaming won't help!"

Jack bit his lip trying to keep in his fear. Although he felt all he could do was scream and run away. That was his only method of defense, trying to out run the Kimiko with a devilish grin on her face, "I never thought I'd be this unhappy to have a girl chasing after me!" he ran away from his persistent pursuer.

However Chase and Raimundo knew how to fight and they made a good effort keeping their Kimiko's at bay.

Jack cried out again uncontrollably and Chase got quickly annoyed. He flung his Kimiko at another wall and went after the one chasing Jack. In a quick flash he was able to tackle the Kimiko after Jack into a closet and lock the door….why a closet needed a lock on it he didn't know but after all it was Wuya's room.

Jack smiled slightly while trying to catch his breath, "Thanks…a lot…Chase," he said between inhales.

Chase nodded quickly and looked to see how Raimundo was doing. He had his Kimiko in a headlock but what he didn't see was the other Kimiko creeping up behind him with a grin of pure evil on her face. Chase charged her ramming his shoulder into her chest, knocking her a few feet back laying unconscious on the floor.

"Thanks man," Raimundo said after flipping his Kimiko over his shoulder, "But I could've handled both myself."

"This is no time for your cocky attitude," they put their backs against each other assuming fighting positions as the two remaining Kimiko's got off the floor.

"Yeah right!" Raimundo kicked a charging Kimiko in the gut, "It was your attitude that started all of this."

"My attitude?" Chase asked in shock punching the other Kimiko in the face, "Tell me how your tiny mind figures that."

"Well," Raimundo swift kicked his Kimiko, "When I first got here all I was trying to do was get the attention of a beautiful girl I happened to meet. You're the one that came at me with your attitude when you got just a little competition!" he pinned the Kimiko to the floor.

"I knew her longer than you did," Chase replied trying to get his Kimiko who had attached herself to his back off, "And your flirtatious ways were so impertinent! I was not only trying to keep her with me but protecting her from a promiscuous boy!" he tugged at the Kimiko's hair whom was still on his back.

"What do you expect from me?" Raimundo asked while blocking his now freed Kimiko's punches, "I'm a teenage boy with hormones! Besides Wuya put me up to it!"

"What?" Chase asked throwing the Kimiko off his back.

"Yeah she said I could either flirt with her or spend my stay here in a cell eating gruel!" he responded being cornered by his Kimiko, "Personally that woman scares me."

"So," Chase pushed the Kimiko that cornered Raimundo away to look him in the eye, "She wanted to break Kimiko and I apart."

"I guess," Raimundo round kicked the Kimiko sneaking up behind Chase, "She never mentioned that Kimiko already had a boyfriend."

"Well," Chase sighed putting one hand behind his head, "We weren't actually dating."

"Why not?" Raimundo asked, "Its obvious you dig her."

Chase shrugged about to respond when Jack let out another yell. Their attention snapped back to the Kimikos they had been fighting. They had forgotten the boys and were gathering in the middle of the room. The one in the closet punched a hole in the door to unlock it letting herself out and following suit with the other two.

They formed a small circle facing each other while chanting something under their breaths. And soon a floating jar of green liquid appeared in the middle of them.

"Whats that?" Raimundo asked.

Chase frowned shooting a glare at Jack. He shrugged nervously, "I thought she was the real Kimiko."

The three Kimikos giggled in unison staring at the jar as if they had struck gold, "Now thanks to Jacks foolishness I will regain all of my witch powers that were taken from me so many years ago."

Jack chuckled mockingly, "It seems that you've overlooked a tiny detail," the three pairs of eyes shot at him, "You weren't even a professional witch when we took your powers back then. You were simply a trainee. That means you'll be as virtually harmless as you were back then," he laughed, "All you could do was make fluke potions."

Their gaze slowly drifted back to the jar and the evil smile crept across their faces again from ear to ear, "But Jack being the scientist you are you truly are dimwitted," Jack's laughter ceased.

"How?"

They giggled, "You took my powers away 13 years ago," their evil gaze turned back to him, "A witch's power grows by the year and on the day of the exact 1500th year all the witches stored potential magic that she couldn't possess gets set free and mixes with her other magic."

Jack blinked a few times taking in all she had said until his face turned even paler than normal.

They grinned, "Tell me Jack, how old was I when you took my magic from me?"

Jack's voice was just above a whisper, "1,487 years old."

"Very good Jack, now add 13 to that."

He lowered his head, "1500 years old."

Chase and Raimundo looked at each other and then back at the three Kimikos. They cackled boisterously, "I will enslave this world and even Master Fung will be my lackey!" the air around them turned a bright green as the liquid flowed out of the jar and into the three Kimikos. Eventually the jar shattered and the three Kimikos became one and morphed into Wuya. She laughed even louder as the last drops of liquid flowed into her, "This world will..."

"Oh will you shut up!" a familiar voice yelled from the doorway.

"Kimiko!" Chase, Jack, and Raimundo exclaimed at the same time.


	17. Chapter 17

Wuya flipped her hair and raised an eyebrow eyeing Kimiko who had assumed a fighting position, "Am I supposed to be intimidated by you?"

Kimiko remained silent with a serious look on her face. When she didn't respond Wuya raised one of her green flaming hands and shot a fireball at Kimiko.

What happened after that is not certain…for all the human eye could see was a large glow of light impact where Kimiko had been standing.

When the smoke cleared all that could be seen was a black ash circle on the ground. Wuya grinned triumphantly.

"I always knew you were stupid," Kimiko said from right behind Wuya, "But I never knew your aim was so bad," she grabbed Wuya's still raised arm and flung it and Wuya over her shoulder.

Wuya hit a bookcase with extreme force taking a good portion of the books with her as she plopped to the ground.

"H…how did you…??? I…I…was sure that…," Wuya babbled rubbing her head and slowly standing up.

Kimiko merely grinned daring Wuya with her eyes to come at her again.

Wuya growled forming more glowing fire balls in her hands and flinging several of them at Kimiko who dodged them all with ease and without breaking a sweat, "Is that all you got!?"

Wuya's eye twitched as she charged Kimiko while swinging punches in every direction. Kimiko blocked all of them with the same finesse that she used on the fire balls. And in return she punched Wuya numerous times in the gut and kicking her off her feet. Wuya back flipped before she hit the ground and raised her razor sharp claws about to take off Kimiko's head with one swipe but instead of her hand flying forward in a quick movement it was stopped by Chase's own hand. He clamped firmly on her wrist.

Wuya growled in her throat quickly turning to slash him with her free arm but that hand was stopped as well by Raimundo with the same grip on her other wrist as well.

Wuya shifted her eyes at them on both sides and then looked at Kimiko who was in front of her. Kimiko had a childish grin and stuck her tongue out at her, "What now Wuya?"

Her eyes twitched as a maniacal smile appeared on her face, "I never did like kids," her hands lit green again as she chanted something under her breath. Suddenly she flung both Chase and Raimundo onto the ground with a new found strength.

They hit the ground so hard that for a long time they didn't move. Kimiko's eyes widened, instincts made her slowly creep back one foot after another but Wuya had her in her sights, "And I especially don't like preps."

Sweat beads formed on her forehead as she backed into a corner. Quickly remembering the lump in her pocket she reached in but Wuya was quicker shooting a huge burst of green light with both hands at the same time with enormous force at Kimiko.

She pulled out the object and held it in front of her just as the green light blinded her vision.

No escape.


	18. Chapter 18

"_Father…Father…I'm waiting Father" the girl walked through the sanctuary of eternity, "Where am I, Father?"_

_She looked around but there was nothing…no space, no time, no being. She even wondered if she was really there herself. Her heart felt the rush one feels when falling straight down and yet she wasn't moving. She waved her hand in front of her face yet it seemed to be so disconnected and not apart of her but she didn't care._

"_Who am I Father?" her voice was monotoned, "Do I exist?" she had forgotten herself. She even forgot how she arrived or even when she arrived at that place. The place with no beginning or end._

"_Father I need your guidance," her words came from her mouth involuntarily, she couldn't even remember who this Father being was, 'what does father mean? What does it mean to me?' her every thought echoed in her mind._

"_Kiiiiiiiiiiiimikooooooooooo…," a voice called._

_She turned her head in every direction but could not decipher where or who it came from, "Father?"_

"_Kimiko, my precious daughter, you're letters have been a joy to read since we separated."_

'_Letters?' Kimiko thought to herself, 'Letters, letters, LETTERS!' of course the letters she wrote to her father, who had passed away a few months ago. Letters she wrote from the manor…the Xiaolin Manor. The manor with the evil witch and residents with broken spirits. No families to spend their days with, no one to give them the love that a family could…just like her. _

_She grew lightheaded at her sudden enlightenment. Her knees quaked below her but she couldn't tell if she had fallen or not, "Father," she spoke again…only in a softer tone, "I am alone now, my family no longer exists."_

"_Kimiko," the voice repeated, "Have you forgotten? You've had a family all along," the voice sounded closer now, "A family that loves you just as I do. The people that are closest to you now are your family."_

_Kimiko closed her eyes as the images of her friends flashed through her mind, "Clay, Omi, Jessie, Dashi, Raimundo,…and Chase…"_

_Suddenly her body rushed forward without her moving, as if she were traveling through time. Her body moved at such a great speed she felt as though she would fall or lose balance at any moment. But the rushing stopped as quickly as it had started. She stopped in front of a blurred image, so bright that it felt like the sun was blazing right in front of her but she could still see it clearly. The image was of a little girl standing with her back turned to Kimiko. The girl stood in front of a grave with rain falling heavily onto her silky black hair. The little girl looked gloomy as she clutched onto the arm of a teddy bear that dangled at her side. Kimiko's eyes widened, "That's me," she said just above a whisper. _

_She attempted to grasp at the image but it was too late, her body started rushing again and the image faded away. _

_The next vision was of a woman standing out in a barren field. The woman had massive blonde locks of hair, her dress loosely blew on her stout figure as the wind rushed by. Like the image before her back was also turned but instead of looking down her gaze was up at the sky. The sky was a bright yellowish orange as if the sun were just setting. However this woman longing for something, as if looking out at the sky would give her what she wanted most. Kimiko didn't recognize this woman at all but still had pity for her, 'This woman,' she thought, 'Is missing a loved one. Just as I am missing you father.'_

_Kimiko's eyes watered but she blinked away the tear as this image faded as well. The rushing was taking her somewhere else._

_The next vision was of a young man peering out the window of what seemed like a grey and dark room. His head was bald and his skin was bright yellow but his face was also unclear. And Kimiko noticed something she hadn't noticed before. Their was a birthday cake next to him on a table next to the window. It had 10 candles on it and read 'Happy Birthday Dashi.' _

_Kimiko smiled a such a happy occasion but her smile disappeared when she realized that their was no one else there. There were no loved ones or family around to celebrate with him. It was just the boy, the lonely boy._

_A lump formed into her throat and she felt she would truly cry. But she swallowed it down when that image faded again, taking her to a new image._

_An image of a young boy, about 3 years of age. He clung to the hand of a woman laying on a hospital bed. His eyes were filled with tears as he sobbed freely, the redness of his eyes blurring with every tear. He mouthed something but Kimiko could not hear it although it seemed like he was saying the word, 'mommy,' Kimiko wasn't sure but when the woman pulled her arm away as if uncertain of the child's words he fell to his knees in a silent drop. The tears dripping down his cheeks and onto the floor. The woman faded away and the boy was left alone until a long sinister hand with claws reached out for the boy. He sniffled looking up at the person reaching out and reluctantly took the hand and was dragged out of Kimiko's view. _

_Kimiko wiped away her own tears now. She felt a great amount of sadness for the people that she had seen. These people whom she had forgotten about or never even knew where now overflowing in her heart. And as her memory slowly started to come back she had a good idea of who the next vision was about._

_Sure enough she saw a little boy sitting on the bed of an orphanage. The room was empty even though their were beds cluttered on every wall. This boy had his head down, and his brownish hair was covering his eyes. The clutched dearly to a teddy bear and small tears ran from his cheeks and left moist drops on the bears head. And as Kimiko had anticipated the image faded._

_The final image she saw made her become one with the vision, not only was she watching but she appeared to be in it. The scene had stalks of huge dried grass all blowing in the breeze. And in the middle of all the stalks was a single dirt road. Kimik whom was standing on the side of it, looked up and down both directions and noticed a tiny basket sitting alone for what seemed like ages, until a tall man with blue eyes and a grey mustache came up the road with some sort of green lizard or dragon sitting upon his shoulder. The man glanced in the basket just as he was about to pass it but what he saw made him stop quickly looking in awe at what was inside it. He slowly bent down to pick it up as the dragon peered in as well, "What is it?" he asked._

_The older gentlemen looked down at it for a few more moments before answering, "Is a baby."_

_The dragons eyes widened as his stare intensified, "The inscription on the blanket says, Chase," the older man finally stated._

"_Chase?" the dragon questioned. _

_The man's gaze softened as he covered the bundle in the basket back up, "Chase it is then."_

_The man carried the basket firmly now and continued up the road. He eventually passed Kimiko who stood gazing up at him. His glance flicked towards her but his second glance came in a quicker motion as if to see if he had really seen her, but however his eyes looked right through her and she realized she could not be seen. When the man confirmed he had not seen anything he continued down the road and disappeared from sight._

_Soon a bright light flooded Kimiko's sight and she appeared back where she had started. She looked around for anymore potential visions but saw none. _

"_Father," she finally said._

"_Yes my child?" the voice asked._

"_Are you showing me all this because I am dead?"_


	19. Chapter 19

"Kimikooooooo!!!!" Chase called out in a desperate cry. He ran over to her now fallen body and knelt down to gather her up in his arms. The item she was holding had fallen from her grip and made a loud thud when it hit the ground as did she.

Chase looked at her closed eyes hoping that they would open or at least make some movement to show that she was still with him. But there was no movement. A thick lump formed in his throat as he brought to fingers two the pulse on her neck. He waited…seconds…moments…minutes but there was none. No pulse, no heartbeat, no Kimiko.

His eyes widened in disbelief and his jaw hung in a stiff position. His eyes welled up with tears still gazing at the lifeless body. Her face was already starting to lose its color and was becoming pale. Chase shut his eyes tight as large drops of tears rolled freely down his face, "No," he sobbed holding the girl close to him, "No Kimiko," he sobbed out, "You can't."

His tears dropped down onto her cheeks and rolled down her face as if she was crying herself.

The whole room was silent. All that could be heard were his continuous sobs, until Wuya stepped in, "Too bad," she said casually walking towards the display eyeing the item the girl had, "So that's who Dashi gave the puzzle box to," she grinned evilly, "If only she had opened it just a few seconds earlier. Her death could've been avoided," Wuya reached down to pick up the puzzle the box but she was cut short when something whacked her from the side, hard. The impact sent her into the wall making a loud collision. When she dropped from it there was a large crack where she had hit.

She looked up to see who had dared to send the surprise attack but was shocked to see that it was a tail. A large green reptilian like tail that was attached to Chase who was still clutching Kimiko's body.

His downcast face could not be viewed but his voice was enough to send shivers up her spine, "Don't touch it," his voice said but it wasn't his voice, it was the voice Wuya had known too well ever since she gave him that potion. The voice that was non human, the voice that was enough to render an army of mighty warriors helpless and on their knees.

Wuya's eyes widened.

The rest of his body which was still in normal form carefully laid Kimiko's body down. He then slowly stood up still not looking up at her, "This time, Wuya, you've gone too far," he was standing straight up now.

Wuya's heart almost stopped.

Chase's body pulsated as it began to grow. And as it did his skin turned deep green and his now visible eyes were showing whiter then they normally did. The lizard eyes stared directly into her's. She shivered and whispered, "Crap."

In a millisecond Chase's human form was gone and he was metamorphed into the reptilian monster he truly was, "This time Wuya," the fury showing clearly, "I'LL MAKE YOU PAY!!"

**A/n**

**I'm sorry this chapter took so long but I hope you enjoyed it. Would you believe I had this chapter done in the beginning of January but I intended to write more through out the month but I had some major writer's block and all my ideas just stopped here. But don't worry I will try to have the next chapter up soon. And if you're thinking that its going to be a sad ending then don't cry just yet, I intend for this to have a happy ending although I'm trying not to spoil it...no matter how much I want to **


	20. Chapter 20

"_Father?" Kimiko started, "Father are you still there?"_

_The space around her remained silent and Kimiko blinked away fresh tears, "Then I am dead." _

_It was then her eyes became illuminated by a bright light that stood firm in a position where the sun would be during mid day. She blinked and tried to shield her eyes with her hands but the light didn't burn when her pupils met it. The light made her feel peaceful and some what drawn to it, so drawn to it in fact that she began to drift towards it. Her sanity slowly started to dissolve from her and the entire being that was Kimiko faded away the closer she got to the light along with her memories until she became ghost like. But Kimiko's only aspiration was the glowing orb coming closer to her grasp._

"_Be warned, my daughter," her father's voice echoed in her ears, "Once you touch that light there is no going back."_

"_Are you saying I am still alive," her mind focused again just as her hand was in the warm aura of the glow._

"_Yes, my child."_

"_Then please send me back!" she urged._

_There was silence for a moment until the voice responded in a calm tone, "And what is it that is so important to you that you wish to live?"_

_Kimiko closed her eyes and sighed in thought, "I don't remember. But there was someone I needed to stop and someone I loved. And I need to open a box."_

"_What kind of box?"_

"_A puzzle box, I believe."_

"_Is that all you can remember, Kimiko?"_

_She nodded._

"_Is that all you need to remember?"_

"_No!" she blurted, "There's more, so much more I need to remember, that I want to remember!"_

"_I am so sorry, but in sending you back I need to require payment."_

_Kimiko's eyes widened for a moment and then slowly reverted to a sullen expression, "You need to take my memory from me, don't you?"_

_The voice was silent for another moment, "You are however allowed to keep one with you on your re-entry back to life."_

_Kimiko drifted away from the dissolving light and regained her physical form, "I truly want to remember the one I love, but in order to save all of my loved ones I must remember the box and that I must open it."_

"_Are you positive, dear?"_

"_Yes," she responded confidently, "But please tell me whether or not my memory will come back to me."_

_The physical form of her father appeared before her. He had as much life in him as when he was alive and a pleasant smile graced his content face, "That, my child, will be up to you. If your feelings are as you say then they will return but if there is any doubt in your soul then they will be gone forever. Are you prepared?"_

_She nodded._

"_Then live life happily, my daughter, your mother and I love you dearly," was his final statement before his features mixed into the infinity around her and gusts of wind engulfed her body and clouded her thoughts. She became light-headed and faint as her body was thrashed around like a rag doll. And during the whole experience a name leaped to the front of her mind, "Chase." Kimiko repeated, "Chase, his name is Chase!" but just as quickly as the name came it started to vanish from her minds grasp, "No, Chase, no!! I'm coming Chase! I'm coming!" and suddenly everything went black._


	21. Chapter 21

"You're an evil cold heartless witch

"You're an evil cold heartless witch!" Chase screeched.

"Thank you ever so much for noticing," she grinned from her perch on the chandelier.

"I will never forgive you!" he said kicking the head off of one of the thousands of rock creatures.

"Which is another thing I'm proud of."

Chase growled in his rage, "I hate you, Wuya, I hate you so much," he took out three more rock creatures, "Come down here and face me, you coward!"

"No I don't think I will," she responded casually, "As long as I'm up here I can calmly think of a plan to destroy you in a slow painful way."

"I don't think so, you old hag!" a rope wrapped around the chandelier and yanked it hard causing the whole structure along with some parts of the ceiling to come crashing down.

Wuya landed hard on her butt again and stood abruptly looking about for the source of the wretched rope. Her eyes rested on the large cowboy who stood at the door recoiling the rope on his arm, "I believe its time for payback, don't you think so Jessie?"

"I sure do big brother," responded the stout girl next to him.

Raimundo karate chopped a rock creature in half and caught Wuya from behind with a firm kick to the spin, "It seems like everyone was invited to this party."

Wuya was sent sprawling a few feet until she caught her balance. Her mouth foamed as she turned back to the Brazilian child shooting multiple fire balls at him but he dodged them all except one. It hit him square in the torso and sent him flying through the large window, the glass shattered and went with him through the air. Raimuno's body seemed to move in slow motion as it ascended from the force of the fire ball until it made a diagonal decent of about 40 feet and crashed into the pool. The splash he made resembled a bomb exploding as the water created a small tidal wave on the area.

Chase darted over to the shattered window to see if his new found friend was ok. A long moment passed as the water became still again and air bubbles smoldered at the surface where he had landed. Even if he did land close to the deep end, the height from which he fell was enough to make him hit his head at the bottom. But Chase was swept with relief when Raimundo broke through and grabbed onto the edge.

However Chase's momentary lapse of relief was short lived when he felt Wuya's sharp knuckled hand smack the back of his head with intense force. So much so that he almost fell out the window himself.

"Never turn your back on your opponent, you poor fool," she scolded.

Chase's rage overcame him again and he turned around ready to face his adversary.

* * *

From his cowering position in the corner Jack watched as Wuya had taken down Clay and Jessie, although they had made a good diversion for Chase. Thankfully she had not killed them but merely knocked them out. Jack sighed now thinking of Chase as the world's last hope to keep it safe from Wuya's evil reign. His eyes drifted from them to the body of Kimiko. Her face was pale and her mouth hung open with the puzzle box lying only a few feet from her. He felt his heart break at the sight, he loved Kimiko he truly did. Even if it meant that he would have to surrender her to either Raimundo or Chase, he wanted her to be happy. And now she was gone, after she was so close to victory her courage had to be shot down by Wuya. He managed to crawl over to her and kneel over her, tears escaped his eyes and he let them flow freely burying his face into his hands he sobbed.

"The box…"

Jack's sobbing stopped and his crimson red eyes peered through his fingers. Kimiko's mouth still hung open and she still lay motionless. But that voice couldn't have been his imagination. He looked over at the puzzle box.

"…Give it to me…," the voice came again and his eyes shot back towards Kimiko.

His face lit up when he saw her blue eyes gazing up at him in a dazed way, "Kimiko? You're alive?"

"Hurry," her weak voice stammered and her hand rose to clench his shoulder, "I must have it."

Jack was stunned for a moment, more relieved then he was confused, "O-ok," he scrambled for it. Once he had it he supported Kimiko so she could sit up and placed it into her hands. Her expression seemed just as confused as he was but her eyes shown determination as her hands moved to open it.

* * *

"Any last words, Chase Young," Wuya asked.

She had him gripped by the neck and pressed up against the wall. They both bore wounds from each other but in using her boost of magic she had managed to come out on top. A large green fire ball formed in her other hand ready to explode in his face the moment she willed it to.

When he did not respond she shrugged, "Very well," her grip tightened around his scaly neck, "You should be happy I'm doing you a favor. You'll be reunited with your beloved Kimiko soon," her fire ball zoomed towards his face just seconds from impacting when it froze in mid air and disappeared.

"W…what is happening?" she cried as her greenish aura began to fade. Both she and Chase turned around to see Kimiko in Jack's arms holding the now opened puzzle box.

"No!" Wuya screamed. The boxes magic had begun to pull Wuya towards it. It appeared as if a giant hand had grabbed her and was dragging her in. Wuya kicked and scrabbled to keep a grip on Chase but lost it as her body became transparent, "Nooooo!! Nooooo!! I was going to rule the woooooorrrrrrrlllllldddddd…," her voice became raspy and ghost like. And the echoes of her cries could be heard as the box closed in around her closing tightly and not soon to be opened.

Kimiko dropped the box from her shaking hands. Her breaths were deep but labored. Her eyes landed on Chase who was still in his reptilian form and then to Jack who was still holding her.

"Kimiko?" Chase started towards her.

She gasped in fear not wanting the monster to come towards her.

"Kimiko it's me, Chase," he came over to kneel beside her as well. He even returned to his human form to prove it to her. His eyes were full of hope and joy but hers were not. After a long moment of silence passed the words finally escaped her lips.

"Who are you?"

**A/N**

**Ok so I'm predicting only a few more chapters left to go. I apologize for it being so late. And somehow it seemed so much better when this chapter happened in my head. And some of the fighting scenes required some imagination since I had the worst trouble writing them down. oh well I hope you like it. Please tell me what you think Thanks and dont worry the next chapter isnt too far off.**


	22. Chapter 22

Leaning against the door Chase waited for Jack, Clay and Jessie to exit Kimiko's room. It had been a few hours since Wuya's defeat and Kimiko still hadn't regained her memory. She didn't recognize anyone, she didn't even know who she was. Since then Jack had taken her to her room and done several tests on her head to find the source of the problem. Clay and Jessie provided moral support for her since the only person that truly disturbed her was Chase.

"Chase! Is everything ok?" a little green dragon approached him, "Dashi told us that Wuya was attempting to get her powers back."

"Everything's fine Dojo," Chase responded looking in the direction he had came, "Is Master Fung with you?"

"Yeah he's on his way up. So what happened, where is Wuya?" Dojo persisted.

"She's not a threat anymore but Kimiko…" he trailed off.

"What happened to Kimiko?" Master Fung cut in coming to join them along with Dashi and Omi.

Chase sighed, "Physically shes fine aside from some minor injuries but I'm afraid her memories have totally left her. Shes in there," he gestured towards the door and allowed Master Fung, Dojo, and Omi to enter but held Dashi back, "Why did you leave when you knew what Wuya was up to?!"

"I wouldn't have left had I not received a call that Master Fung had had another heart attack. You know his health is slipping. That's why I brought him back from his business trip early. I entrusted the puzzle box to Kimiko just in case Wuya did get her powers back."

"Why did it have to be Kimiko?" he demanded.

"Because her father, was the one who sealed her powers away the first time."

"But I was told it was Master Fung who did it."

"No, ultimately it was Kimiko's father. However Master Fung and Kimiko's father both had enormous amounts of chi energy, but Kimiko's father had just enough to take away Wuya's strength, and Jack provided the scientific knowledge to restrain her power. You don't remember because you were always in your room," he placed his hand on his forehead, "Unfortunately sealing away Wuya took more out of Kimiko than I thought."

"Will she ever get her memory back?"

"I don't know," he responded in a troubling voice, "We'll just have to wait and see. The best thing we can do for her now is try to jog her memory to spark some recollection that might still remain."

"How can I if the very sight of me scares her?!" Chase pleaded in desperation.

"I'm sorry," he placed a hand on his shoulder in sympathy, "I know how much she means to you."

Chase just shook his head in aggravation and pulled away from Dashi's grasp, "Its probably better this way, it was never meant to be, I'm supposed to be alone with this accursed spell I'm under, no one could ever love me."

A long silence passed between the two and Raimundo who had hidden in the shadows heard everything. He had been fished out of the pool by Clay and only managed a sprained ankle from the fall. After hearing the conversation between them he felt he should make himself known as he crutched towards them, "Its never better to choose loneliness over love, bro."

"What would you know about love?" Chase retorted.

"Not much but at least I'm not afraid to find it," he replied before entering Kimiko's room.

Dashi sighed as Chase stormed over to a window on the opposite side of the hall, "…Chase-"

"Her memories never going to come back is it?" Chase whispered.

"Give her time, Chase, give her time," his answer finally came as he joined the others inside the room and closing the door behind him leaving Chase to his thoughts.

Silence encompassed the hallway, the only sound Chase could hear was his empty heart. His patience for love was dwindling, however his love for Kimiko was growing, and since the curse, time seemed to be clinging to his side. Besides Kimiko, was time all he really had left? Time seemed to be his only friend, could he give it away? He dreaded that thought but would go to the ends of the earth for her. The words formed in his mind again and tore at his essence, "Give her time."

* * *

**A/N**

**Sorry its been so long, I'll try and do better. Anyway about this chapter, I've had it saved since Summer but I intended to make it longer, but I thought it over and I think I'll save the bulk of the conclusion until the next chapter. ^_^ I added a metaphor in that last paragraph , did anyone catch it? If you didnt then thats ok I was a little vague with it. So anyways tell me what you think and Enjoy ^_^**

**Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays**


End file.
